Monday's letters: The problem is apathy

Published: Monday, February 18, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 15, 2013 at 5:41 p.m.

It’s a spending problem, declared letter writer Noel Swain last Thursday about the financial mess our political leaders choose to ignore. Indeed. A spending problem because the real problem is twofold, and one depends on the other: First, politicians have no term limits and want to get re-elected, so second, they support massive social spending to get the votes.

Mr Swain is correct: Politicians spend our tax money on social welfare to get votes. But Mr. Swain is wrong about the problem. The problem is apathy by Americans who allow Congress to get away with these near-criminal ideas that they can just go on spending.

Where is the battle cry? Where are the people who will rally against such outrageous fiscal decisions?

Our present Internet access and ability to get instant news seems it would serve Americans well to easily band together and fix this relatively simple problem. I say simple because it truly is. Term limits for politicians at every level would cut their power with outside PACs and others willing to pay for their attention (and vote), while making them focus on bipartisanship to get important legislation done.

To go with this idea is to make each bill stand on its own. Don’t allow any attachments that create favored elitists (large contributors to re-election) and wild pork spending everywhere.

The budget/debt issue is really simple: Limit spending to what the government takes in, minus repayment to get us out of debt. All of us must do this to avoid a life of poverty, so why can’t politicians be mandated to do the same? Then they can argue all they want about what gets funded and what does not.

This way, our American way of life, for us and future generations, will not be in jeopardy just because we can’t pay our bills.

Bob Payne

Campobello

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.